The Lonely Hour
by SheBroughtWordstoLife
Summary: They say that two A.M. is a time for the lonely and not the lovers. This is not always the case.


They say that two A.M. is a time for the lonely and not the lovers. Nancy had heard this before, she knew she had…although she couldn't exactly remember where.

Yet, there she was, awake at two A.M., tangled in bed sheets. It was an oppressively hot night in August, and she could feel beads of sweat form on the inside of her knees and the surface of her temples. Lazily, she brushed what she could off with the back of her hand and tried to move into a comfortable position. She had been trying desperately for the past four hours to fall asleep, to no avail. Her aching eyes, heavy from sleep, seemed to mock her as she tossed and turned, unable to find a cool spot to rest.

The fact that Sonny was sprawled out like a starfish was not helping. He had had no trouble falling asleep at all, leaving Nancy with his incessant snores and another source of heat to torment her. This would not have bothered her at all in the colder months. However, in the dog days of summer, Nancy was tempted to carry her pillow to the couch and sleep _there_, instead.

Left with nothing but the heat and her stream of consciousness, Nancy's brain was a mess of muddled, sleep-deprived thoughts. Maybe this was how Sonny felt all the time, except with more vivacity. She glanced over at his sleeping form. His hair looked different when it wasn't all done up. Blue and green tufts stuck out across his forehead and pillow, going in different so many different directions that Nancy could almost guarantee that he would be complaining the next morning when he tried to style it.

Domestic life had served the two well enough. After the stream of cases had slowed down, Nancy had decided to move out and find her own place. She hadn't expected Sonny to be a part of this plan. He had come along a little while later, after a particular case left Sonny with nowhere to stay, and Nancy with warm feelings. That case was the turning point in their relationship, even if it had taken Nancy a while to realize it.

Once they _both_ realized it, they had decided to make it official. Introducing their relationship to others was interesting, to say the least. Nancy's father had been accepting, albeit a tad surprised. Nancy giggled at the memory. _Had Carson Drew expected his practical, no-nonsense daughter to bring home a young man with purple hair and combat boots, he may not have invited them over for dinner in the first place._

_ Nancy had spent the drive to her father's house trying to dissuade Sonny from discussing his extraterrestrial theories at the dinner table._

_ "It's just that…my dad is sort of traditional. Practical. He's sort of like me."_

_ Sonny looked at her with a confused expression. "You let me discuss aliens at the dinner table."_

_ Nancy gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. "Not the point. Just…try not to bring it up."_

_ "Alright," Sonny sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat, "I guess I'll talk about the important things, like…stocks."_

_ Nancy frowned and glanced over at him. "I mean it."_

_ Sonny grinned and pantomimed zipping his lips._

Nancy's fears had been put to rest, however, the moment that they arrived at her father's house. Mr. Drew stood at the front door, a polite smile on his lips. As Sonny and Nancy stepped out of the car, Carson's eyes widened at the sight of his daughter's boyfriend.

Sparing no time for an awkward pause, Sonny had walked right up to Nancy's father, extended his hand, and proudly stated, "Mr. Drew, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Sonny Joon."

"Yes, uh…nice to meet you, Sonny. Please, come inside." Mr. Drew had recomposed his polite expression, and after hugging his daughter, whispered into Nancy's ear.

"You could have at least prepared me for the purple hair."

Nancy laughed, and the rest of the dinner went well, with Carson and Sonny engaging in conversation over some art deal in New York City. By the end of the night, it was quite clear to Nancy that her father approved.

Bess had been a different story. Nancy wasn't sure whether Bess was utterly jealous or utterly giddy. With Bess, it was usually one and the same.

_"Nancy, you are living my DREAM! Please, please, PLEASE tell me everything! What shampoo does he use? Does he like puppies?"_

_ Nancy chuckled. "Calm down, Bess. You're getting all worked up."_

_ "Worked up? Nancy, this the crowning achievement of my entire life! I am best friends with Sonny Joon's girlfriend!"_

_ After hours of endless questions on Sonny's hair, personality, and fondness for baby animals, Nancy said goodbye and returned to her apartment. Inside, Sonny sat on the couch, surrounded by crumpled wads of paper._

_ "Sketching again? What this time?" Nancy plopped herself beside him on the couch, looking over towards his sketchbook._

_ "Oh, you know. The usual."_

_ "With you, there is no usual."_

_ "And what a good way of life that is."_

_ Nancy rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. As Sonny returned to his doodles, Nancy realized he was right. _

There were times when Nancy couldn't help but wonder what similarities the two shared. It didn't take half a brain to register that Sonny and Nancy were different from one another. One _look _at them and you'd come to the same conclusion.

Running her hand lightly along Sonny's cheek, Nancy wondered why she was so respectful of his ideology. She usually wasn't one to suppress her true opinions, but as soon as Sonny came into the picture…

She remembered the conversation she had had with Jamila so long ago. Regardless of her beliefs, Jamila had known that Sonny was special, in some way. That wasn't profound or revolutionary. You didn't have to believe in the Annunaki to know that. Nancy had known from the moment she'd read that first sketchbook. He was different.

After meeting him for the first time in New Zealand, Nancy had gotten to know him a little bit better. She found out who he really was. Sonny wanted answers. Nancy was the one who was supposed to help him find them.

In the stagnant heat of a summer night, a tired smile crept onto Nancy's lips. She and Sonny _did _have something in common after all. Once you got past all the theories, he and Nancy shared the same sort of curiosity.

She supposed it was her own inquisitive nature that made her agree to help him. It was in her nature to find the truth.

Flipping her pillow over to the cool side, Nancy sank her head into the fabric and sighed. Sonny stirred beside her, muttering mindlessly in his sleep. Nancy lightly stroked his hair, staring at him. He was the only person who continued to take her by surprise, amazing (and frustrating) her in the process.

_It had taken her a while to admit, even to herself, that she was in love. Her last relationship hadn't ended on the best terms. The breakup had taken her by surprise, and for weeks she felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on her head. _

_So when Sonny came into her life and lit a fire inside her mind, she knew that he was different. _

_George had been the first to notice a change in her behavior. She and Nancy usually met for lunch once a week, and she couldn't help but notice the changes that were taking place in her best friend. Nancy didn't have an appetite anymore. She always seemed lost in thought, even more so than usual. She started styling her hair differently. _

_All of these things made George suspicious, but it wasn't until Sonny tagged along to one of these lunch dates that George noticed the real change. Nancy and Sonny seemed to hold onto every word that the other said. A smile played on Sonny's lips whenever Nancy laughed, and Nancy never seemed to lose interest or zone out whenever Sonny went on one of his crazy ramblings._

_After Sonny left to go grocery shopping, (which Nancy knew meant he would come back with a cart full of impulse purchases and sugary cereals) Nancy and George headed back to the apartment. George silently walked behind Nancy, head down. Nancy could tell something was on her mind, but she didn't bring it up. She didn't have to._

_Once they were inside the apartment, George shut the door behind them and leaned back against the door panels, a smug grin on her face. _

_Nancy set her bag on the coffee table and raised an eyebrow. "What?"_

_George's grin widened and she shook her head slightly. "You're in love with Sonny Joon."_

_There was the bucket of water again. This time, however, it was boiling hot. A warm flood of color rushed to Nancy's cheeks, and she opened her mouth, trying to think of something to say._

_George stood up straighter and took a step forward. "Don't try and deny it. It's painfully obvious."_

_Nancy continued to stand still, completely taken aback. She didn't know why this simple statement made her heart palpitate so hard that she could feel it throbbing in her chest. _

_George sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Look, I know the whole Ned thing didn't work out…"_

_Nancy's open mouth snapped shut. "You think I—Ned has nothing to do with this!"_

_George stared into Nancy's eyes, ready to continue. "But… I can tell Sonny likes you, too. So it's about time you just admit it: you're in love with him."_

Sonny began to stir again, this time reaching towards Nancy and pulling her in close to his chest. Nancy sighed and brought her hands around his torso. She inhaled, taking in the scent of soap and the base notes of his cologne.

She _was _in love with him, and somewhere along the line, she had found the nerve to tell him. To her utter relief and joy, he reciprocated those feelings, making whatever former living arrangement they'd had more…

Nancy couldn't find the right word to describe it. As her eyes finally became too heavy to keep open, she heard a soft whisper.

"Still awake?"

Eyes still closed, she pressed her forehead onto his chest. "Mmm-hmm."

"What are you thinking about?"

Nancy opened her eyes and gazed into his. "A lot of things. Now go back to sleep."

Pressing a kiss onto the top of her head, Sonny didn't say another word. Nancy closed her eyes again, and as she was drifting off, she was certain of many things, but one thing in particular stood out in her mind.

Two A.M. is a time for the lovers, as well as the lonely.


End file.
